Discovering Morristown's Revolutionary PastMeet by The Alliance statue group, which depicts Washington, Lafayette, and Hamilton on the Morristown Green for this ranger led hike. The hike ends at Washington's Headquarters Museum and the Ford Mansion at Morristown National Historical Park. Hike participants are encouraged to then visit the museum or take a guided tour of the Ford Mansion.This guided hike will weave together the stories of the Continental Army's winter encampments of 1777 and 1779-80 in and around Morristown. Stops will include the Presbyterian Cemetery, the Schuyler-Hamilton House, and the Ford Mansion. This is a great way to discover how historic sites hidden in plain sight all connect to a common story of Morristown's significance during the Revolutionary War. Meet at the Alliance Statue Group on the Morristown Green. The tour will start at 10:00 am and end at 11:30. This program is FREE and admission to the the Ford Mansion and Washington Headquater's Museum is FREE in honor of the National Park Service's 100th birthday. The Washington's Headquarters Museum/Ford Mansion is located at 30 Washington Place, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-539-2016 x210 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.-----------------------------------

Saturday, August 27 - Byram Township, Sussex CountyWaterloo Canal Heritage DayChildren Friendly EventCome visit Waterloo Village between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm for a day in this historic Morris Canal town. Enjoy boat rides on the Morris Canal, Smith's Store - a furnished canal-era store with hands-on activities, blacksmithing, see the operating gristmill, seamstress shop, carpenter's shop, take guided tours of 1859 Methodist Church, the Canal Museum - with exhibits and videos, and guided walking tours of the village. Admission is free but there is a $5 per car parking fee. Waterloo Village is located at 525 Waterloo Road, Byram, NJ. For more information, call 973-292-2755 or visit www.canalsocietynj.org.-----------------------------------Saturday, August 27- Sandy Hook, Monmouth CountyMortar Battery, Battery Potter, and Nine Gun Battery ToursChildren Friendly ToursExperience history at Sandy Hook, part of Gateway National Recreation Area with a tour of three historic gun batteries. Tours at each site run throughout the day from 1:30 - 4:30 pm.Join a ranger guided tour of the Mortar Battery and learn about the battery designed to mount sixteen 12-inch caliber, breech loading, rifled mortars used for the turn-of-the-century coastal defense of New York Harbor.When construction began in 1897, Nine Gun Battery was originally intended to mount three 10-inch caliber disappearing guns. When construction was completed in 1902, an additional six 12-inch caliber disappearing guns were emplaced creating a nine gun battery that operated until 1944.Join a park ranger to explore and tour Sandy Hook's oldest disappearing gun battery. Battery Potter was completed in 1895, and was the first concrete disappearing gun battery built in America.Mortar Battery, Battery Potter, and Nine Gun Battery are located within historic Fort Hancock at Sandy Hook, part of Gateway National Recreation Area. For more information, call 718-354-4606 or visit www.nps.gov/gate.-----------------------------------

History of the National Parks: A NPS Birthday EventJoin a Park Ranger and learn about part of the history of the National Park Service on Saturday. There were several presidents that helped create public lands, National Parks, and the National Park Service. Find out which presidents had a significant role in preservation and The National Park Service. Programs at 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 pm at the Washington's Headquarters Museum is located at 30 Washington Place, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-539-2016 x210 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.-----------------------------------Saturday, August 27 - Morris Township, Morris CountyMeet the Irish Servant and the Cook at the WillowsChildren Friendly Event and SiteOn Saturday at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, discover the life of domestic help at the Foster home on a guided tour. Assist the maid with household chores and see what the cook has prepared using the wood-burning stove. Two tours times available: 1:00 - 2:00 pm and 2:00 - 3:00 pm.Admission: $6 for adults; $5 for seniors (65+); $4 for children ages 4 – 16; and $2for children ages 2 and 3. FREE for children under age 2 and Friends members with a current membership card. Fosterfields Living Historical Farm is located at 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown, NJ. For more information, visit www.morrisparks.net.-----------------------------------

Saturday, August 27 - Morristown, Morris CountyThe Cure to What ‘Ales’ YouJoin the discussion on the varied and controversial relationship between alcohol and people during the 19th century on Sunday from 4:00 - 6:00 pm at Historic Speedwell. Admission: $7 per adult, $6 per senior, $5 per child age 4 - 16, FREE per child under age 4. Historic Speedwell is located at 333 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-285-6550 or visit www.morrisparks.net.-----------------------------------

Outwater’s Militia EncampmentChildren Friendly EventOn Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, come and see the men of Outwater’s Militia join together and drill in preparation for action against his majesty’s troops. Stroll through the encampment when the men are not drilling and learn about the life and times of the Revolutionary War. This event will take place at Washington Crossing State Park near the Visitor Center Museum. The park is located at 55 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville, New Jersey. The event is free but a $5 per vehicle park entrance fee is in effect. For more information, call 609-737-0623.-----------------------------------

Saturday, August 27 - Hopewell Township, Mercer CountyFiddlin’ on the Farm Children Friendly Event and SiteThe Hunterdon Folk Exchange will join with the Friends of Howell Living History Farm to present their 28th annual fiddle contest at the farm on Saturday. The Folk Exchange Fiddle Contest is the largest and longest running traditional fiddle contest in New Jersey, and annually draws some of the best fiddlers from throughout the tri-state region.Howell Living History Farm, a 19th century farmstead nestled in a lush valley, is the ideal setting for an old time traditional fiddle contest. The farm is maintained by the Mercer County Park Commission using farming practices and technology in existence at the turn of the (last) century. The music of the fiddle finds a natural home here, having been the favorite instrument at rural dances and social gatherings through much of our nation’s early history.The Friends of Howell Living History Farm is a volunteer organization that exists to support and promote the farm and its programs. The Hunterdon Folk Exchange is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote traditional folk music in the west-central Jersey area.Fiddlers will be competing for cash prizes. Each fiddler will perform two old-time tunes of varying tempos, and may use up to two accompanists. Also performing at the contest will be the Jugtown Mountain String Band, a traditional old-time acoustic country string band.Howell Living Farm represents typical farm life between 1890 and 1910. The farm is operated by the Mercer County Parks Commission. It is located at 70 Wooden's Lane, Lambertville, NJ. For more information. call 609-737-3299 or visit www.howellfarm.org.-----------------------------------

Saturday - Sunday, August 27 - 28 - Cape May, Cape May CountySeafarers' Weekend at Historic Cold Spring VillageChildren Friendly Event & SiteAhoy, matey! Historic Cold Spring Village invites you to celebrate the maritime culture and history of the Jersey Cape at Seafarers' Weekend on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am - 4:30 pm. The event will feature pirates, music, family fun, and a variety of displays and demonstrations of all things nautical. The Village buildings will also be open, featuring historical interpreters in period clothing who demonstrate the trades, crafts and lifestyles of Early America.Valhalla's Pirates will join the event, bringing thrilling fight scenes both days at 12:00 noon and 3:00 pm. Captain Black and his crew will also meet with guests throughout the day to take pictures and tell tales of the sea. The Sea Dogs, an authentic maritime reenactment crew, will perform sea chanties on both Saturday and Sunday at the Village Gazebo. New Jersey historian, Lee Ireland, will offer a talk on his book, American Pirates and Their Hidden Treasures, at 1:00 pm in the Welcome Center on both Saturday and Sunday. The Friends of HCSV will host a traditional South Jersey corn roast at the Village Pavilion from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. And visitors should be on the lookout for gold coins hidden throughout the Village that can be redeemed for cool prizes!Historic Cold Spring Village is a nonprofit, open-air living history museum that portrays the daily life of a rural South Jersey community of the Early American period. It features 26 restored historic structures on a 30-acre site. From late June to early September, interpreters and artisans in period clothing preserve the trades, crafts and heritage of "the age of homespun." Fun and educational activities for children are featured Tuesday through Sunday, with special events every weekend through mid-September.Historic Cold Spring Village is located on Route 9, three miles north of Victorian Cape May and a mile and a half west of the southern terminus of the Garden State Parkway. Admission during the season is $12 for adults and $10 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 are admitted free. Unlimited free admission is available with Village membership. The Village Nature Trail at Bradner's Run is open to the public for free self-guided tours. For more information, call 609-898-2300, ext. 10, or visit www.hcsv.org.-----------------------------------

Sunday, August 28 - Morristown, Morris County

Hike Jockey Hollow: A NPS Birthday EventChildren Friendly EventHave you ever had questions about Jockey Hollow or the National Park Service? Join a park ranger for a two mile hike through Jockey Hollow and bring your questions. Ask about the Wick Farm, the Flora and Fauna in the park, or how Jockey Hollow was preserved. Be prepared for hiking: bring proper hiking boots, water, sun screen, and your questions. This FREE hike begins at 1:00 pm at Jockey Hollow, 580 Tempe Wick Road, Morristown NJ (address is approximate). For more information, call 973-543-4030 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.-----------------------------------Sunday, August 28 - Sandy Hook, Monmouth CountyNike Missile Radar Site TourWhile taking a guided tour of this one-time top secret missile site at Sandy Hook (Gateway National Recreation Area), you will have the opportunity to meet and talk with some of the veterans who worked on the Cold War era Nike Air Defense System. Tours are free and available from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. Tours begin at Horseshoe Cove, Parking Lot L. For more information, call 718-354-4606 or visit www.nps.gov/gate.-----------------------------------

Sunday, August 28 - West Orange, Essex CountyGeothermal Tour at the Glenmont EstateGo "behind the scenes" at the Edison home. Join a guide for a walk through the basement of the famous house and learn about its new geothermal heating and cooling system. This program will last about 30 minutes at take place at 1:30 and again at 2:30 pm. It focuses on the technical aspects of the environmentally friendly geothermal system. The basement is not wheelchair accessible.The tour is included with regular admission, which is FREE August 25 - 28 in honor of the National Park Service's 100th birthday. Tickets to visit Glenmont must be picked up at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park Laboratory Complex Visitor Center at 211 Main Street, West Orange, NJ. For more information, call 973-736-0550 x33 or visit www.nps.gov/edis.-----------------------------------

Sunday, August 28 - Morristown, Morris CountyPeter Toth: Centennial Series Piano RecitalPlease join Morristown National Historical Park for a series of special piano recitals to celebrate the NPS Centennial. Playing on the park's 1873 Steinway grand piano, celebrated pianist Peter Toth will perform solo piano works from a variety of beloved composers.Hungarian pianist Peter Toth is one of the most recognized artists of his generation. He has concertized in most countries in Europe, South America, and Asia. His first released CD recording won the Grand Prize of the Hungarian Liszt Society (2006). Mr. Toth is a regular guest artist at various piano festivals and has been member of the American Liszt Society since 2011.The recital will be held at the Museum Building, 30 Washington Place, Morristown, NJ. It begins at 1:00 pm and will be held FREE of charge. No reservations necessary. For more information, call 973-539-2016 x 204 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.

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Sunday, August 28 - Princeton, Mercer County

Historic Princeton Walking TourChildren Friendly TourEnjoy a 1.9 mile, two-hour walk around downtown Princeton and the University campus as you learn about historic sites in the area, including Bainbridge House, Nassau Hall, the University Chapel, and Palmer Square. The early history of Princeton, the founding of the University, and the American Revolution are just some of the stories from Princeton’s history that you will learn on your tour.Admission: $7 per adult; $4 children ages 6 to 12; free for children age 5 and under. Tours begin in front of the Bainbridge House, 158 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. Tour begins at 2:00 pm and ends at 4:00 pm. Walk up ticket sales are cash only; guides cannot provide change. Space is limited. For more information and to reserve tickets, call 609-921-6748 or visit www.princetonhistory.org.-----------------------------------Sunday, August 28 - Piscataway, Middlesex CountyHistoric Music Series in the ParkChildren Friendly Event

-----------------------------------Sunday, August 28 - Hoboken, Hudson CountyAnnual Heirloom Tomato-Tasting FestivalThe Hoboken Museum's Annual Heirloom Tomato-Tasting Festival returns Sunday from 1:00 - 5:00 pm in the breezeway outside the Museum's entrance. Wantage, NJ, farmers Rich and Sue Sisti of Catalpa Ridge Farm will be back with over a dozen varieties of heirloom tomatoes, freshly picked and ready for sampling. The event, as always, is free.Heirlooms are varieties that gardeners have saved by passing down seeds from one generation to the next. They're usually the most flavorful varieties and often come in unusual colors and shapes - they hardly resemble the typical round, red tomato sitting in a plastic tray in the supermarket. The colors range from white to yellow to purple, and sometimes even red. Favorites over the years have included the tart "Aunt Ruby's German Green," the flavorful "Brandywine Pink," and the ever-popular "Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter." New varieties are grown every year. The Sistis also bring a selection of farm-fresh produce including garlic, herbs, peppers, onions, eggplant, summer squash and more, available for purchase. The Hoboken Historical Museum is located at 1301 Hudson Street, Hoboken, NJ. For more information, call 201-656-2240 or visit www.hobokenmuseum.org.-----------------------------------

Through August 28, 2016 - Boonton, Morris CountyBoonton and the Electronics Industry ExhibitOur new changing exhibit features the numerous electronics companies that existed in Boonton during the infancy of electronics. Aircraft instrumentation, electronic testing instruments, and radios will be on display. Learn more about Boonton's significant contributions to the electronics industry by visiting us at the historic Dr. John Taylor House in Boonton NJ. The site is open on Sunday from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. The museum is located at 210 Main Street, Boonton NJ. For more information, call 973-402-8840.

-----------------------------------Through August 2016 - Cranbury, Middlesex CountyMerchants of Main Street: A Stroll Through the Shoppes of Cranbury's PastStop by the Cranbury Museum to view "Merchants of Main Street: A Stroll Through the Shoppes of Cranbury's Past," the Cranbury Museum's current exhibit which celebrates the creativity, hard work, and entrepreneurial skills of the Main Street merchants of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.Main Street was filled with a diversity of businesses-general stores and candy stores, millinery and hat shops, blacksmith and harness shops, banks, and newspaper offices. Through the centuries, Main Street met the needs of the Cranbury shopper. Come take a stroll down Main Street, visit our merchants and view their wares and services. This exhibit will be displayed through August 2016 at Cranbury Museum, 4 Park Place East, Cranbury, NJ. The museum is open on Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. For more information, call 609-655-2611 or visit www.cranburyhistory.org.-----------------------------------

Through September 1, 2016 - Morristown, Morris CountyTwo Centuries of Cultivating Green Space: The History of Macculloch Hall's Gardens

The reputation of the "New Jersey Tomato" may be legendary, but George Macculloch, the original resident and builder of what is today known as Macculloch Hall Historical Museum (MHHM), is credited with growing the first New Jersey tomato. Writing in his journal in 1829, in what is believed to be the earliest mention of the tomato, George Macculloch listed his cultivation of "tomatas." George's journal, a detailed record of his gardening successes and challenges, is a major highlight of the new exhibition at MHHM, Two Centuries of Cultivating Green Space: The History of Macculloch Hall's Gardens, which will be on view in the Schoolroom Galley of the Museum through September 1, 2016.This unique exhibition traces the history of the gardens established at 45 Macculloch Avenue by Louisa (1785-1863) and her husband, George Macculloch (1775-1858) in 1810. The Maccullochs were avid gardeners who cultivated their 26 acres for a variety of reasons: to feed their family, for profit, and as a form of creative expression. Through photographs, design plans, and the historic crop journal meticulously kept by George Macculloch from 1829-1856, this exhibition explores a variety of gardens at Macculloch Hall-from the early nineteenth-century kitchen garden and farm; to the later Victorian and early-twentieth century gardens favored by later generations of the Miller and Post families, to the mid-twentieth-century design created at the bequest of W. Parsons Todd by the Garden Club of Morristown.Two Centuries of Cultivating Green Space: The History of Macculloch Hall's Gardens also anticipates the interest of children in gardens and includes a special children's display focusing on the plants and animals often found in the backyard gardens of New Jersey residents. Through interactive displays such as a tabletop flower garden and a puppet tree, children can explore pollination and learn about the bees, butterflies, worms, and birds that help to make our gardens thrive.Children are also invited to participate free of charge in MHHM's summer garden program, Dig it! Plant it! Eat it! Programming for Two Centuries of Cultivating Green Space: The History of Macculloch Hall's Gardens includes special tours of the gardens, free with admission, Sundays in June, July, and August at 2:00p m.The garden is open daily, free to the public from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. MHHM is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00pm. Admission is $8, Adults; $6, Seniors and Students; $4, Children 6-12; and free for Members and children under 5. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum is located at 45 Macculloch Avenue, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-538-2404 or visit www.maccullochhall.org.-----------------------------------

All Aboard! is an insightful look at how the railroad impacted on the development of the northern Barnegat Bay barrier island. A model railroad diorama of the Bay Head Railroad Loop, photographs, maps, videos, and railroad memorabilia will be on display. The museum is open to the public and a small donation is suggested for non-members. The Bay Head Historical Society and the Loveland Homestead Museum is located at the corner of Bridge and Bay Avenues at the Bay Head/Point Pleasant border. Summer hours: Friday through Monday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. For more information, visit www.BayHeadHistoricalSociety.com.-----------------------------------

Through October 23, 2016 - Morristown, Morris County"Fine, Fancy, and Fashionable: 125 Years Dressing the Bride"

"Fine, Fancy, and Fashionable: 125 Years Dressing the Bride" offers an opportunity to experience the joy, magic, and elegance of 30 different wedding days and a visual timeline of bridal dresses from Mary Johnson Condit's 1840 silk gauze A-line gown to Alice Woodridge's 1954 lace tea-length dress. Join a bride and groom as they arrive at their reception in the dining room, a bride and her mother on the special day, and a busy bride creating her gown on an 1852 Florence sewing machine. Bridal accessories including shoes, gloves, veils, headpieces, photos, invitations, newspaper clippings, diary entries, and even a cake-topper, complete the display. The exhibit is on view through October 23, 2016. Acorn Hall is located at 68 Morris Avenue, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-267-3465 or visit www.acornhall.org.-----------------------------------

Through December 31, 2016 - Far Hills, Somerset CountyMore Than a Game Exhibit at the USGA MuseumChildren FriendlyVisitors to the USGA Museum in Far Hills will be surprised to learn that there is much to discover about the game of golf. Originally installed in February of 2014, the exhibit "More Than a Game" focuses on how the creation of African-American golf clubs positively impacted the community, despite the pervasive prejudice and racism of the Jim Crow era. They founded institutions that celebrated the game, and their culture, setting a new standard for what a free and open society could be.Local schools and youth groups are invited to arrange a field trip to the museum to learn about diversity in golf through the exhibit's centerpiece which is the story of William "Bill" Powell and the Clearview Golf Club. Founded in 1946 in East Canton, Ohio, Clearview is the only public golf course in the United States designed, built, owned, and operated by an African American. Celebrating their 70th anniversary this year, its existence is a testimonial to the vision, determination and integrity of Powell, who overcame numerous obstacles in the pursuit of his dream. Lesson plans are available upon request for teachers and group leaders prior to or following their onsite experience.Powell's Clearview Golf Club was not the only African-American golf institution founded in this era. The exhibit also honors other clubs that made significant contributions to minority golf including Shady Rest Country Club in Scotch Plains, NJ, home course of John Shippen, the first American and the first African American to play in a U.S. Open Championship in 1896. Also featured are significant trophies from the United Golfers Association and many other various artifacts that celebrate the men and women who made sacrifices in an effort to realize their dream of equality on the greens.The USGA is one of the world's foremost authorities on research, development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game's history and invests in the development of the game through the delivery of its services and its ongoing "For the Good of the Game" grants program. Additionally, the USGA's Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.For more information about the museum, this exhibit and field trip opportunities, please contact Kim Gianetti at 908-326-1948 or by email at kgianetti@usga.org. For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.-----------------------------------Through June 2017 - Ocean Township, Monmouth CountyPresidents at the Monmouth County Shore ExhibitOne hundred years ago this September, 25,000 people gathered on the grounds of what is today Monmouth University—then a private estate called Shadow Lawn—to see Woodrow Wilson officially accept the nomination of the Democratic Party for a second Presidential run. Wilson was following a popular tradition among American Presidents to retreat to our slice of the Jersey Shore to escape the heat and hubbub of Washington. At the Eden Woolley House, this major exhibit tells the wide-ranging stories of eleven Presidents who spent time here, at the Monmouth County shore.Mrs. Lincoln got the ball rollingThere’s a case to be made that it all started with Mary Todd Lincoln. Mrs. Lincoln travelled to Long Branch in the summer of 1861, probably at the invitation of William Newell, family friend and then supervisor of the life-saving services in New Jersey. Long Branch was already a popular resort, and national coverage of the First Lady’s visit added immeasurably to its fame and appeal.That fame and appeal continued to draw the wealthy and influential—including the seven presidents who vacationed in resort city, starting with Ulysses Grant.Seven Presidents in Long BranchIn 1870, a group of wealthy businessmen who summered in the Elberon section of Long Branch presented President Grant with an oceanfront cottage where he vacationed for the next 15 years. When Grant died in 1885, city officials feared the resort might lose its cachet. They needn’t have worried. Six of the next ten Presidents--Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Harrison, McKinley, and Wilson--chose to spend time in Long Branch.The most tragic of these Presidential visits was James Garfield’s last. Mrs. Garfield was in Long Branch recuperating from illness, when, on July 2, 1881, Garfield was shot by an assassin in the Washington train station. He was taken to the White House, where his condition worsened. In hope the sea air might help, Garfield was taken to Elberon. Famously, locals worked through the night to build the spur to carry the President’s railroad car from Elberon Station to the ocean side cottage. He died there 12 days later, September 19.Beyond Long BranchLong Branch was not the only Monmouth County destination of Presidents. Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and Richard Nixon visited our area, if only, in some cases, for a political rally. And then, of course, there’s Warren Harding, whose local connection was a bit less public and a good deal more scandalous. Join us June 26 to learn the full story. The new exhibit is on view through June 2017.The Township of Ocean Historical Museum offers exhibits on the history of coastal Monmouth County and a full calendar of events. The Museum also houses a library and archive of local history. It is open, free of charge, 1:00 - 4:00 pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday, 7:00 - 9:00 pm Thursday evenings, and 1:00 - 4:00 pm the first and second Sundays of each month. The Township of Ocean Historical Museum is located at 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ. For more information, visit www.oceanmuseum.org.

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Some event listings courtesy of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey